Artificial leg



G. GUZEY ARTIFICIAL LEG March 6, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 24,1946 iii! I 6 35 X8 5/ gwwmm.

March 6, 1951 r GUZEY v 2,543,908

ARTIFICIAL LEG Filed Sept. 24. 1946 -s Sheets-Sheet 2 LIQUID [7. 5. E:0555mm; l

gwuam fm @e 0 rye gaze Patented Mar. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES ?ATENT F FICE ARTIFICIAL LEG Georg e Guzey, Valdosta, Ga.

Application September 24, 1946, Serial No. 3'98386 4 Claims.

This invention relates to artificial legs.

object of this invention .is to provide an improved artificial legwhereby the wearer can readily regulate the swinging movement =of theleg members so that these members can either swing relatively slow orcan swing relatively fast.

Another object of this invention is to provide an artificial legembodying fluid check :means for checking the movement of the limbs.

A further object of this invention is to provide an artificial legwherein the rocking of the "foot member will effect a bending of thecalf portion relative to the upper thigh portion.

A further object or this invention is to provide an artificialleg'con'struction wherein the movements of the limbs will simulatethe'natural movements of a natural leg.

A further object of this invention "is to provide an artificial leg ofthis kind-which is of "simple construction and can be made of relativelylight weight material.

'With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in thearrangement, combina- 'tion and details or construction disclosed in thedrawings and. specification, and then more particularly pointed 'out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figures 1 and 1a show inside elevation, partly "broken away'and invertical section, an artificial leg constructed according to anembodiment of this invention.

Figure? is a vertical'sectional view of the fluid retarding means withinthe leg.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 Figure 4is a 'fra'gmentaryse'ctional view taken on the line 4- 5, of Figure '2.

Figure 5 is'an enlarged fragmentary "vertical section of the slidewithin the fluid cylinder.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of one of the check valves.

'Figure is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line1- 1 of Figure "la.

"Referring to the drawing, the numeral In designates the upper or thighportion of the leg within which the stump is adapted to "be positioned.The calf or lower leg member generally designated as H is hingedlvsecured to the thigh portion ill by means of a pivot 52.

The lower portion of the thigh member in is adapted to telescope intothe upper reversely curved portion l3 of the calf member or lower leg H,as shown in Figural.

A foot member M is 'swingably secured as -lndicated at Hi to the lowerend of the calf member H and telesoopesover'the lower end of the calfmember H. An elongated cylinder it is secured within the calf member H,being disposed in substantially vertical positionand supported in suchposition by means of upper and lower bracket members I! and I8. Thecylinder 2 fl fi has a closed :lower end is and :a screw -cap 2]] ismounted in the upper end of the cylinder lfi. vA plug or slide member Zl.slidably mounted in "the cylinderkl'fi and a pair of elong'ated tubes:22 :and .23 are extended vertically through the slide member 2t, beingdisposed in spaced parallel relation.

'The tube 2 2hasnxed on the upper end thereof a piston or washer 2'4 anda spring-pressed check valve 25 is carried by the upper end of the tube22 and is adapted to normally dose the upper fend of the tube. The.lower end of the tube 2 2 is open into the lower portion of thecylinder it. The tube 23 is 'reve'rsely "disposed w ith respedt to thetube-22, having a piston 25 at its lower end and a spring-pressed checkvalve 121 normally closes the lower end of the tribe-2'3. The upper endof the tube 23 is open into the upper portion of the "cylinder lit.

The cylinder T6 is formed with a pair of diametrically disposedelongated slots or openings 28 and 29, the purpose for which will behereinafter described. 'A valve plug 30 is extended into the slidemember "21 "and intersects the "tube 22 within the slide member 2! Theplug 36 is formed with a relatively small fluid passage 31 which "maybe'moved into or out of re'gistry'with the tube 22. The plug 30 extendsthrough a threaded sleeve 32 which is threaded into the slide member 2!,and a sealing means 33 is "adapted to be compressed by threading of thesleeve 32 so as to seal the plug 30 in the bore or plugopening "34 whichisformed in the slide member "21 A second valve plug 35 is disposed in aplug opening 36 formed 'in the 'slide'member 2| and "intersects the tube'32 in the slide member '21. The plug 35 is formed with a relativelylarge port-oropening 31 whiehwill be selectively'moved into registry orout of registry with respect to the tube 23. A threaded sleeve 38 isdisposed about the plug 35 and a sealing packing '39 is adapted to becompressed by the sleeve '38 'for sealing the plug 35311 the opening135. A shaft 30 is j'ou'rn'a'l'edin an opening ll extendingdiametrically through the slide member 2! and extends at-one end intothe slot or elongated open ing 29.

Asbur gearM is ii'x'edonthe ead of the shai't in, projecting into "theopening 291w means or 44 fixed thereto by fastening means 45 whichmeshes with the gear 42, the latter' being 'a'valve regulating gear, and"valve plug '35 "has a spur gear 45 fixed thereto by fastening means 41,'whihalso meshes'with gear 42.

A lever or "valve regulating arm 48 is secured to -the shaft 4!! and thelever 48 has 'secur'ed' to the 'outer en'd thereof one end of a .Bowdenwire lBQbyzfa'stenin'g means 5n. :CheBowden-wire 49 extends through aiflexible tube '15 s'which dis-- posed interiorly of the calf member II,and as shown in Figure 1, is extended through an opening 52 in the thighmember It so that the stump of the leg will not contact the valveregulating means.

The upper end of the Bowden wire 49 is secured to an adjusting lever 53and preferably the lever 53 is adapted to ride over notches or detents54 formed in the upper portion of the thigh member l so that theregulating lever 53 will be normally maintained in its adjustedposition. I

In order to provide a means whereby the slide member 2! and the pistons24 and 26 may be moved lengthwise of the cylinder I 6 when the footmember M is rocked relative to the calf member H, I have provided acurved arm 55 which is fixed to the shaft 69 oppositely from the gear42, being secured thereto by a nut 56. The arm 55 has secured thereto anelongated rod 5'! which is formed at its lower end with a head 58. Thehead 58 is slidable in a cylinder 59 and a spring 59 is disposed in thecylinder 59 and constantly urges the head 53 downwardly to engage thelower end iii of the cylinder 59.

An elongated rod 62 is secured to the lower end 6! of the cylinder 59and extends downwardly into the foot member i l and is connected at itslower end to a link 53 by means of a pivot joint 94. The link 63 isrockably mounted as at 65, on the bottom of the foot member I l. The arm55 also has secured thereto an upwardly extending rod 66 which ispivotally secured to a bracket or inwardly projecting mounting 9! whichis carried by the lower portion of the thigh member (0 in the region ofthe knee portion of this thigh member.

The pivot 68 which connects the rod 65 with the mounting 6? is offsetforwardly from the pivot 59 of rod 66 on the arm 55 so that upwardpressure on rod 52, causing slide 2| and arm 55 to move upwardly willcause upward pressure to be exerted on rod 66 as this pressure willefiect a swinging of the calf member H relative to the thigh E9. Thecalf member I! is adapted to be returned to normal straight position bymeans of an elongated flexible member 79 which is extended upwardlythrough the thigh member Ill and is adapted to be connected to a belt orthe like which is worn by the wearer. The lower end of the flexiblemember IQ is connected to an elastic strap H which is secured as at E2to the forward portion of the calf member I I,

In the use of this invention, the opposite end portions of the cylinderI 5 are adapted to be filled with a fluid and the regulating valves 30and 35 are adjusted to the desired degree by means of the adjustinglever 53.

In the drawings, the ports 3i and 3'! are both shown in open position,to provide for a faster down stroke of the pistons for faster walking orbending the thigh member when assuming a seated position.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructionherein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview ofthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An artificial leg comprising an upper thigh member, a calf member, afoot member, means hingedly connecting said members together, link meansconnecting said foot member with said thigh members, and fluid means insaid calf member connected to said link means whereby rocking of saidfoot member will effect rocking of said calf member, said fluid meansincluding an elongated hingedly connecting said members together, linkmeans connecting said foot member with said thigh members, and fluidmeans in said calf member connected to said link means whereby rockingof said foot member will effect rocking of said calf member, said fluidmeans including an elongated cylinder formed with a pair of elongatedslots, a slide in said cylinder, a'pair of tubes extending through saidslide, oppositely disposed pistons carried by said tubes, oppositelyclosing check valves carried by said tubes, means connecting said slideto said link means, valve means carried by said slide, and adjustingmeans for said valve means.

3. An artificial leg comprising an upper thigh member, a calf member, afoot member, means hingedly connecting said members together, link meansconnecting said foot member with said thigh members, and fluid means insaid calf member connected to said link means whereby rocking of saidfoot member will eifect rocking of said calf member, said fluid meansincluding an elongated cylinder formed with a pair of elongated slots, aslide in said cylinder, a pair of tubes extending through said slide,oppositely disposed pistons carried by said tubes, oppositely closingcheck valves carried by said tubes, means connecting said slide to saidlink means, valve means carried by said slide, gear means for adjustingsaid valve means, and means for adjusting said gear means.

4. An artificial leg comprising an upper thigh member, a calf member, afoot member, means hingedly connecting said members together, link meansconnecting said foot member with said thigh members, and fluid means insaid calf member connected to said link means whereby rocking of saidfoot member will effect rocking of said calf member, said fluid meansincluding an elongated cylindcr formed with a pair of elongated slots, aslide in said cylinder, a pair of tubes extending through said slide,oppositely disposed pistons carried by said tubes, oppositely closingcheck valves carried by said tubes, means connecting said slide to saidlink means, valve means for said tubes carried by said slide, gear meansfor actuating said valve means, and means carried by said thigh memberconnected to said gear means for adjusting said gear means and hencesaid valve means.

GEORGE GUZEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Oct. 12, 1921

